Why Would I Use a Language Service Company?

The United States Census Bureau predicts that by the year 2050, Hispanics will represent one out of every four persons in the United States, up from about one in eight in 2000. Driven largely by immigration, this dramatic growth in the Hispanic population will continue to present new challenges in health care, education, and the workplace.

The results from the 2000 Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) program show higher fatal work injury rates for Hispanic Workers than for other racial/ethnic groups—rates that appear to be increasing even as fatal work injury rates for most other United States workers are declining. Non-fatal occupational injury and illness rates are also higher among Hispanic workers.

Where to start, and why?

With statistics like that, the logical choice would be where they work. However, a survey done by the Safety and Health Magazine (November 2003), asked companies if they provided training materials in languages other than English. 51.5% of the companies surveyed stated they translated no safety or training materials.

Still don’t see the need?

Did you know that Title 6 of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, states that language rights are civil rights? This act requires by law, hospitals that receive federal funds, “medicare-medicaid” to provide Interpreters. OSHA is making it a high priority at its summit meetings in D.C. to focus on the communication by employers to their Hispanic workers. What this means is recognizing the need for interpreting and translation services.

Why use professional Interpreters and Translators?

Interpreters are expert communicators who work with the spoken word. They will understand the different dialects in certain languages and have an extensive vocabulary in both English and the native language. In addition, the interpreter must adhere to a code of ethics and remain impartial, but most important, an interpreter must be able to accurately and idiomatically render the message from the source language into the preceptor language without any additions, omissions, or other misleading factors that in any way alter the intended meaning of the message. Most individuals that are bi-lingual in the U.S. do not come close to this skill level and can easily misinterpret crucial information.

Translators are expert communicators who work with the written word. They possess an in-depth knowledge of language and various fields such as law, technology or medicine and as such; they are committed to achieving the appropriate degree of precision, and impact.